Beige Is Out, Fedora Is In
Americans want a house of a different color
At another high-end boutique, Citron Paint in Tucson, Ariz., founder and owner C J Volk started manufacturing paint in 2001 when she was working as an interior designer and could not find the colors she wanted for her clients. While most paints include two or three pigments, she says, her colors contain between eight and 15; and she does not add in black or gray, as many others do, because they absorb rather than reflect light and turn colors "muddy." Her paints also cost more: 27 cents for two coats per square foot of Citron, she estimates, versus 22 cents for other high-quality paint. But the funky names--fedora, steamy romance, bubble bath, pickle delight--are free.
No matter what you pay, you still have to pick a color. For do-it-yourself colorists, paint companies like Benjamin Moore, Glidden, and Behr offer free online viewers. Select a room, then mix and match tints. Paint the living room rich Bordeaux red or subdued antique white? Would violet trim clash? Do we dare try a ceiling in soft peach? Benjamin Moore also sells a more advanced program, Personal Color Viewer 2.0, for $15 at its stores and website. Pop in digital photos of your home, and the hue is up to you.
Big chips. Still stumped? Several companies--Citron among them--sell 5-by-2-inch paint chips, as opposed to thumbnail size. And swatches from Citron and others are of the paint itself--not the more common colored ink reproductions. In addition, companies large (Benjamin Moore) and small (Citron and Fine Paints of Europe) sell cosmetic-jar-size samples for a wall test.
Help is available--for a fee. After consulting boutique paint manufacturer Volk, who charges $275 for a two-hour consultation and a color plan, the Van Daeles chose 13 colors--in subtle shades of yellow, red, tan, and green--to grace their new home in Tucson.
A consultant may begin by asking clients to fill out a questionnaire and compile a folder of favorite colors, including photos, ads, and descriptions of what they've admired in other homes. Juliana Catlin, president of Catlin Design in Jacksonville, Fla., listens for lifestyle clues. When one man said he collected classic jazz posters, their sepia tones became the key to his color scheme. Stephen Glassman asks clients to go to their closets because "your wardrobe truly reflects your personality" --and color preferences.
And if you hate the shade once it's on the wall? One thing about the paint business hasn't changed: You can always slap on a different color.
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